Chute for silos



July 30,1940. J. J.- RUTTEN ET AL CHUTE FOR SILOS 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Dec. 20, 1937' Aiiorneys Patented July 30, 1940 cHUTE FOR SILOS) Joe J. Rutten, Osakis, Minn, and Walter Rutten,

. Plainfield, 111.

Application December 20, 1937, Serial No. 180,792

12 Claims.

assembled by placing a number o'fsaid'sections one over the other until thechute has reached its desired height.

Another object of my invention istoprovide a silo chute which may be incorporated in a new silo structure during-the building of the silo,

or which may be mounted upon a previously constructed silo having the usual vertical .wall opening and conventional door sections.

'A further object of the invention is to provide achu'te made up'of separate sections Which'are to a great extent independently supportedwso that there is no accumulated weight upon the lower sections, thus eliminating any tendency of the chute to sag.

A still further object of the invention is to provide an improved side rail structure which may be conveniently assembled, and which-is particularly adapted for use in connection with a built up sectional chute.

I Another object ofthe invention is to provide a ladder'rung which -may be "conveniently apwith a ladder rung and portions of chute sec- 'tions shown in vertical section;

Fig.3 is'atransverse section taken approximatelyon' the line 33 of Fig.2, and showing a portion of a horizontally disposed silo encircling hoop;

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken-approximately cnthe line 4-4 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 5 is a transverse sectiontaken approximately on theline 55 of Fig. 2; x

Fig. :6 is a transverse section .taken..through a portion of a modified form of silo chute section;

and

Fig. '7 is a fragmentary vertical'section of two 7 silo chute elements constructed in accordance Withthe'modification shown in Fig. 6.

In Fig. 1 is shown asilo 8 which may be of any conventional style of construction insofar as its wall structure isconcerned, and having horizontally disposed-spaced hoops 9 encircling the silo to reinforce the same. Extending vertically lo throughout the silo wall is an elongated .rectan', gular opening l0 which is adapted tobe closed bya plurality of 'removabledoor elements :which may be or any well known construction and which are not shown in the drawings.

Extending upwardly on either side of the opening I0 is a pair .of rail elements 'I I. Each rail element is formed of relatively short sections, and in each of said sections is'a radially disposed inner flange l2 having notches l3 :cut 10 therein to fit over the spaced horizontal hoops 8. Extending laterally at right angles to the radial portions 12 of each side rail isa central rail port-ion l4, and-the outer portion of said side rai-lis bent to a position substantially radially of the silo and bent upon itself, as shownin Fig.4, with the edge'portion I 5 of'the ra-il spaced somewhat irom the other portions of the "rail, thus providing a vertical channel-like"arrangement extending verticallyin each of'the rail sections. The central portion [4 of each rail section has a bolt lfi extending therethrough, the inner end I! of the bolt being of hook-like construction to fit around one of the silo hoops 9., thus securing the railportions to the silo.

When one rail section has been secured to the silo hoops, and another section is to be placed above the one first secured, a slidably mounted connector element It is slipped over the top of the lower rail section and pushed downwardly over said rail section until the upper edge of'the latter firmly engages sunken portions 20 across the medial part of the connector element [9. The lower end of the upper'rail section is then slipped intothe connector element l9 until it abuts-the upper end of the rail section beneath it, and both sections are then firmly held by the frictional grip of the medial portion of the connector Ill. The connector is so formed that it will align the vertical channels in adjacent rail sections to'form a substantially continuous channel.

Each of the chute sections 2| in the embodi-' ment shown in Figs. 2 and 3 has its vertical edges 22 bent upon themselves withthe .bent .66

over edge spaced slightly from the body portion of the chute section and these bent-over edges are adapted to slip into the channels formed in the rail elements II, as best shown in Fig. 3. In order to facilitate insertion of the bent-over edges of the chute sections in the channels I provide cut-outs 23 in said channels so that the edges of the chute sections can be slipped into the channels at the cut-out portions. The lower edge of each chute section is bent upon itself to form a grooved edge, indicated generally at 24, the groove itself being in alignment with the body of the chute section, as shown in Fig. 2. The upper edge of each chute section is left unbent and is adapted to fit within the groove formed in the section above, the adjacent sections are interconnected by sliding an upper section downwardly in the channels in the rails ll until the groove formed in the lower edge of the upper section receives the unbent upper edge of the section below, thus the chute section is firmly held in the channels in the side rails II, and adjacent chute sections are firmly interlocked with the tongue and groove joint described. It will, therefore, be seen that a full size silo chute may be quickly assembled by slipping chute sections into the side rail channels and interlocking adjacent horizontal edges of the sections.

In order to permit a person to climb upto the top of the silo it is contemplated that the hoops 9 be'so spaced from the doors of the silo or other portions thereof that both a hand hold and a foot hold may be secured. On the other hand if the hoops are not arranged to permit their use as ladder rungs, I may provide rungs 25 which have,

as shown in Fig. 5, their inner end portions 26 bent upon themselves to fit within the channels in the side rails ll. If the ladder rungs are placed above or below the chute, they will appear as shown in Figs. 2 and 5, and may be held securely in position by means of rivets 21 or the metal of the ladder rung may be punched in slightly with a resulting inward punching of a portion of the side rail to engage the rung against vertical displacement. In the event that it is desired to place rungs within the chute up the entire length of the silo then, of course, the bent over portion of the side rail, which forms the channel, must be sprung outward slightly to accommodate the double thickness of metal in the bent-over portion of the chute and the bentover portion of the ladder rung. It is preferred that the step part of the ladder rung be rolled, as shown in Fig. 2 at 28, to provide rigidity.

In Figs. 6 and '7 I have shown a different form of chute section. The joint 29 between adjacent horizontal edges of the individual chute sections is a tongue and groove joint the same as that shown in Fig. 2, but in this embodiment of my invention I have eliminated a separate side rail. In accomplishing this the vertical edges of each chute section extend backwardly toward the hoops 3B and a crease or fold 3| is formed a short distance inside of said vertical edges leaving an inner flange 32 having cut-outs 33 adapted to fit over the hoops 30. A bolt 34 extends through the I chute structures, shown in Figs. 6 and '7, will be eliminated, and suitable lag screws or nails will extend through the medial portion Id of the side rail or through the crimp or fold 3| of the chute section shown in Figs. 6 and '7. The lag screws or nails extend into joints in the silo, or directly into the walls.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that I have provided a silo chute construction which can be preformed at the factory, and which can be secured to practically every type of silo without any alteration. The chute being in sections can be easily assembled since the individual sections are of no great weight, and if the sections are secured to the side rails after said rails have been fully erected they can be inserted at convenient points along the side rails due to the cut-outs 23. If the ladder rungs 25 are utilized they can be quickly and easily secured in the same general way. When completely assembled the chute is extremely rigid due to its interlocking with the side rails, and the tongue and groove interlock between the top and bottom edges of adjacent chute sections, and, as shown, said tongue and groove connection forms an effective seal against the entrance of snow or rain. Furthermore, due to this particular form of tongue and groove connection, there are no projections upon which silage can be caught when it is dropped down the chute.

While I have shown a chute which does not extend entirely from the top to the bottom of the silo in Fig. 1, of course, the chute may be constructed to do so but it was so illustrated in order to permit illustration of the positioning of the ladder rungs 25.

It will, of course, be understood that various changes may be made in the form, details, arrangement and proportions of the various parts without departing from the scope of my invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a silo chute, a pair of spaced vertically positioned channeled rails, a plurality of chute sections having vertical edges fitting in said channeled rails said rails holding said vertical edges against horizontal displacement, means for interlocking said chute sections, and means for securing said rails and chute sections to a silo.

2. In a silo chute, a pair of oppositely disposed channeled rails having spaced cut-out portions communicating with the channels in said rails, a plurality of chute sections having edges shaped to slide through said cut-out portions and into said channels, and means for securing said rails to a silo.

3. The structure in claim 1 and said rails being sectional, and means for interlocking said rail sections toleave said channels unobstructed.

4. In a silo chute, a plurality of sectional rail members having longitudinal channels therein, connecting elements for said rail sections partially surrounding the ends of adjacent rail sections and leaving said channels unobstructed, the channels in adjacent rail sections being maintained in alignment by said connectors, said sections being arranged in a pair of vertically disposed and laterally spaced groups, and silo chute sections slidably connected to and between said groups of sectional rail members.

5. The structure in claim 1 and ladder rungs at spaced points on said rail sections, said rungs having end portions shaped to fit the channels in said rails provided for said chute sections,

6. In a silo construction, a silo wall structure reinforcing hoops encircling said wall structure, rail elements rigidly connected to said hoops, portions of said rail elements being bent upon themselves to provide channels, chute sections fitted in the channels in said rails, and means for con-' necting the adjacent edges of said chute sections.

7. In a silo chute, a plurality of sections having substantially identical structure and having edges adapted to interlock with those of adjacent sections, each of said sections having vertical edges bent upon themselves, said bent edges being spaced from the body of said sections, and a pair of spaced vertically positioned rail members having channels therein, the bent edges of said chute sections being adapted to slidably fit the channels in said rails, and means for securing said rails to a silo.

8. The structure in claim '7 and said rail members having cut-outs therein adapted to fit over the hoops of a silo, and means on said rail members adjacent said cut-out portions for positively engaging said silo hoops.

9. In a chute for silos having horizontally disposed hoops around thin walls, a plurality of chute sections, the horizontal edges of said sections being adapted to interconnect with the edges of adjacent sections and said sections having vertical edges with cut-outs therein, said cutouts being adapted to fit over said hoops, and vertical portions of said chute sections being bent at an angle to said vertical edge portions, and connectors secured between said angularly bent vertical portions and said silo hoops.

10. In a silo construction, a wall, hoops encircling said wall, a plurality of chute sections'having interlocking adjacent upper and lower edges, portions adjacent the Vertical edges of said sections being bent at an angle to said vertical edges, said sections having cut-outs to receive portions of said hoops and elements extending through said bent chute portions and secured to said hoops.

11. In a silo construction, a rail for attachment to silos for supporting silo structural elements comprising. a longitudinal channeled section, means for rigidly securing said section to a silo wall, a second longitudinally channeled section aligned longitudinally with said first section, means for rigidly securing said second section to a silo wall, a connector for said sections having longitudinal sliding engagement with the adjacent ends of said aligned section and maintaining the channels of said sections in alignment, said connector having a longitudinal open portion, the

edges defining said open portion lying at both.

sides of the longitudinally channeled portions of said sections to permit slidable movement of said silo structural elements from one section to another, and silo structural units having portions longitudinally and slidably inserted in the channels of said rail sections.

12. The structure in claim 11 and a pair of rails formed of said connected sections, and said structural units comprising ladder rungs having their end portions longitudinally slidably inserted in the channels of said rails.

JOE J. RUTTEN. WALTER RU'I'TEN. 

